Lake Malawi

 

An amazing, tideless sea

Lake Malawi is the country's single biggest geographical feature and stretches 365 miles long and 52 miles wide earning it the name 'Calendar Lake'. It is a very beautiful expanse of water, dotted with small islands and fringed by many stretches of clean, sandy beach and palm trees, making it a superlative beach destination.

Elsewhere along the shoreline, steep cliffs and a plunging escarpment in the east create a more dramatic landscape and the neighbouring hills of Tanzania and Mozambique form a stunning backdrop that is particularly beautiful at sunrise and sunset.

 

A tropical aquarium

The waters of the lake are crystal clear and teeming with shoals of brightly coloured, small fish. Lake Malawi actually contains one of the largest number of fish species of any lake in the world, a huge number of which are endemic not only to the lake but to specific bays. Larger residents include perch, lake yellow-fish, lake salmon and catfish.

The most commonly seen bird species here are white-breasted cormorants and hamerkops as well as the noisy fish eagle, often seen striking the surface of the lake with its large talons, plucking a fish from the waters. Pied kingfishers are regularly spotted and amongst the reed beds, there are many weavers, especially the lesser-masked and yellow weaver. Rock hyraxes, antelopes (such as kudu and grey duiker) and numerous baboons add to the fauna.

 

Activities in and on the water

It is a rich environment and if you enjoy watersports, particularly diving and snorkelling, you are certain to be enticed by the lake's warm waters and its colourful inhabitants. Visibility can reach an astonishing 30m. Kayaking makes a fascinating way to explore the lovely islands and bays - and there are also great opportunities to go sailing in these gentle, current-free waters.

Photographs by kind permission of Dana Allen and Wilderness Safaris.